Lil Wayne got his start in rap music when he was still little. The child prodigy signed his first record deal when he was just nine years old and had his first two platinum records in at seventeen, one as solo artist and the other as a member of the Hot Boys. Staying solo, the master of gangsta rap and self-promotion finally became a household name with 2004’s Tha Carter, which became the marquee name in the Lil Wayne franchise and led to Tha Carter II the following year. Buoyed by CD sales and digital downloads, Lil Wayne found himself in demand as a collaborator on other rapper’s worker and a headliner on tour.
The New Orleans native has stuck to roots and established a following as hardcore as his lyrics. Even troubles with his record label have not kept Lil Wayne off the charts as he released several singles in advance of Tha Carter V. An artist who recognizes fan loyalty, he has released several mixtapes in between larger studio releases, giving his core followers a musical fix. This strategy has led to more than fifty million record sales and downloads, and perhaps more impressively than anything, given Lil Wayne more hits than any man in history. In 2012, he passed Elvis Presley, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, as the all-time leader in charted songs with 109. That’s an accomplishment that makes Lil Wayne a giant in the industry and enough to convince fans to check out his next release and catch him on his tour.